Somewhere a Clock is Ticking
by GeekBastard23
Summary: In a world where your soul mate is predetermined, Tony is just about done finding the one when his life is turned upside down. AU/Supernatural/Slash.
1. 23

_**A/N:** I'm not usually a fan of supernatural kinds of things, if you can even call it that, but when the idea popped up, I really wanted to give it a try, so I'll see if there's any interest here ;) Slash of course, you know me. This is probably going to be a fic on the longer side, but I'll see where it'll lead me. Hope you like it._

_Disclaimer: Nothing's mine – really, it isn't._

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**Somewhere a Clock is Ticking**

_Chapter One: 23_

Tony let his head fall onto the back of his couch, sighing loudly. He hated when it appeared - the feeling of utter loneliness that was lingering within him even though he wasn't even lonely himself.

He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and watched the numbers tick down on his forearm. He had that kind of digital clock engraved there ever since he had been born and they were mercilessly showing him the countdown to when he'd meet his soul mate. Everybody had it, at least that's what his mom had told him and he had yet to encounter somebody who wasn't imprinted like that, though he was sure there had to be people out there who weren't.

When he was a kid the thing scared him to death sometimes because it kept changing numbers so quickly. One day there would only be twenty-four days left to live for him before meeting his own soul mate and it was therefore getting his hopes up only to crush them the next day when it would show him almost eighty years to get there. Nobody knew exactly what changed their numbers, but Tony's theory was that if your own soul mate didn't want to be found by his potential other, they would just hide away in another relationship or else. As a kid he liked the idea of challenging that system, too, liked to think that he'd just choose somebody else and that he'd be happy with them despite them not being his. But as time went by he witnessed too many happy unions, so many matches made in heaven that he had given up on this plan.

Yes, he wanted to meet his soul mate, he really did, but he just had no idea how to find that person. It didn't exactly make things easier that nobody had an idea if it was a man or a woman that you'd fall in love with. So you could fall for every single human being on earth and sometimes Tony thought that it would be impossible to find that somebody, that somebody he was supposed to be with forever. What was even scarier was the fact that once your soul mate died, your own numbers would turn to zero. It meant that you had lost your chance of true love forever and as scary as the thought was to actually find them, it was much more frightening to lose them without ever even having known them.

He had seen one to many people whose clocks had stopped ticking from one moment to the next and there was nothing that could be done about it. Sure, they would fall in love with somebody else, but they would have no chance if their love interest met their rightful other half. It was depressing watching them fall again and again. Tony had always pitied those people because there was nothing else to do really, even though some of them managed to be content with life, loved their jobs, their friends and kids. Sometimes Tony really wondered if he'd be so okay with everything if it were him.

Sighing, he watched another minute tick down on his clock. At the moment it only read twenty-three days and a couple of hours, but that didn't exactly get his hopes up. He had been down to one day a couple of years ago, in 2001 sometime, only to be changed from one second to the next to thirteen years and a couple of days. The clock hadn't changed ever since, but he didn't know whether that was anything to go by either. It was sort of depressing really.

He let out another sigh when a particular violent wave of loneliness washed over him again. He was sure by now that the closer he was getting to meet him or her, the more he could feel their emotions. He was pretty sure that he wasn't the one feeling lonely at the moment. He had just had a very nice dinner with Abby and the Palmers. He felt right at home right now, felt like everything he really needed was right there. He had a fantastic job, great friends and a great confidant in Gibbs, too. He had no real idea when or how that had happened, but it felt too right to question it. In short, he really, really liked his life at the moment and there was no reason why he'd feel lonely at the moment, but he had learned to live with the mood swings lately. There was no chance of not doing that anyway, so why fight it?

Shaking his head and grabbing the remote for his TV, he turned it on and switched through a couple of channels before he settled on an ancient western movie. Yeah, this felt like home more than ever and something suddenly settled within him. The feeling of dread and loneliness suddenly gave way to something else and Tony had the insistent feeling that this was exactly what he was supposed to be doing right then. Maybe his other half was feeling the exact same way, was maybe even doing the exact same thing than he was. It was a comforting thought and he sighed once again, out of contentment this time, as he settled back on his couch, watching Clint Eastwood bullshit his enemies.

***  
Only a few miles away from him, the exact same movie was switched on in another living room and for an hour or so everything seemed to be normal and special at the same time.


	2. 22

_A/N: Wow! Thanks so much, guys, for the great feedback on this! :) Totally made my day, didn't expect that at all :) Hope you like the next one, too :)_

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Chapter Two: 22

"Morning, Boss," Tony greeted Gibbs the next day.

He didn't get a verbal reply, but the older man gave a slight nod, not taking his eyes off of the computer screen in front of him. Tony all but threw his backpack into a corner before he settled at his desk, booting up his own PC.

"Is it just me or is it hot in here?" he then asked, shedding his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

"AC is broken," Gibbs answered, his glance resting on Tony for a moment.

"Jeez," Tony sighed, already feeling a lot hotter all of a sudden. "Hope it's not going to be as bad as a couple of years ago. You remember? I practically wanted to run around naked all day."

"Don't you want to do that all the time?" McGee's voice traveled down the hallway from where he had just left the elevator.

"Not when you're around," Tony joked back, a slight smile on his lips.

"Don't say that," McGee teased back, "maybe I'm your soul mate and you just haven't realized yet."

"Sure, McGoogle, unfortunately for you, your clock has long started counting up and not down like mine does. And remember, we kind of have already met like what? Nine years ago?"

"Yeah," McGee answered and laughed, shaking his head as he sat down at his desk, involuntarily looking at his own arm and the imprinted clock that read a little over a year by now since he had met Delilah. "Why were you talking about getting naked anyway?"

"AC's out," Gibbs answered before Tony had even opened his mouth.

"Shit," McGee cursed under his breath, his glance wandering to the windows and the sun that was already burning down on them despite it being pretty early.

"Don't be a wuss, McGee," Tony couldn't help but quip. "I mean, look at the boss, he's still wearing all of his 25 layers and drinking hot coffee."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs retorted. "If you won't shut up now and do your work, I'll get _you_ 25 layers."

"Shutting up, Boss," Tony replied sheepishly, turning his glance towards the screen of his computer to check his emails.

He was really growing hot by now and he wondered in earnest how Gibbs was able to sit there like that, wearing his jacket, his polo and a long sleeve underneath it all, without breaking a sweat. Just as he was about to ask about it despite his better instincts, Gibbs shook his head and actually shed his jacket. He caught Tony looking at him and smirked ever so slightly, but said nothing. Tony followed his lead and actually started to get his work done.

#

A couple of hours later, Tony stood up to get the -what felt like- 20th water bottle out of the freezer in the break room. He had by now shed his dress shirt, too and was only wearing a t-shirt. He wasn't the only one, though. McGee had done the same and even Bishop, who was usually busy abiding by the rules, was only wearing a black tank top.

"Can you get me a Coke Light, please?" Bishop piped up when he was just about to round the corner.

"Sure thing, wouldn't want you to drink more than a calorie, would I?"

Bishop just snorted, so Tony went his way, suddenly feeling a little annoyed. It wasn't exactly the fact that Bishop refused to drink anything with sugar in it or that it was hot like hell or that he had gotten almost no work done yet, it was something else entirely. He was feeling annoyed at himself. That was weird. His own confusion settled in and a moment later he realized that it wasn't him who was annoyed – it was that strange kind of connection again.

Subtly shaking his head, he got the drinks and went back to the bullpen, wondering whether everybody suddenly felt that connected to their future other half. He was pretty sure he hadn't felt like that the last time, but maybe that was because he'd been younger then, had thought to be in love with Wendy despite his better instincts and had thought to be the boss of his own feelings. That had changed since then. He knew that he couldn't fight it any longer, couldn't make the borrowed emotions disappear.  
And yet, he still didn't feel all that excited about meeting him or her. He knew that that would probably change once he would have seen them for the first time, but sometimes he wondered why it couldn't be easier. Why couldn't you actually choose who to love? The world would be a much simpler place without all the regrets and missed opportunities.

Shaking his head again to get rid of these gloomy thoughts, he finally rounded the last corner towards the others. He handed the Coke to Ellie and was just about to turn around when she caught him by his arm.

"Wow, you're close," she said, somewhat awestruck.

"I'm what?" Tony asked slightly confused as he hadn't expected her to say anything.

"Close to meeting the one," Bishop grinned ever so slightly, still not letting go of his arm.

"Yeah, well," he just shrugged. "We'll see… I've been closer before, and still here I am."

"How close?"

"A little over twenty-four hours, I guess. Why?"

"Are you sure?" Bishop asked, furrowing a brow. "That's really weird. I've read a lot about the subject and usually once you're under six days the deal's done. You know if nothing like dying happens before."

Tony looked at her for a moment, considering what she had just said. He knew that she was right, he'd read the same thing a couple of times, too, but he had never thought much about it. There were so many theories flying around about the topic that he didn't believe any of them. Nobody knew for sure why and how the clocks worked, so he wouldn't start worrying about them now all of a sudden.

"Read the same thing," McGee finally joined their conversation. "What you reckon happened?"

"How should I know?" Tony replied, shrugging, as he went back to his desk, casting a furtive glance towards Gibbs who didn't seem to be paying attention to them. "Maybe they just found somebody else for the time being or I did, I don't know."

"Did you?"

"Well, McGee, I was engaged to Wendy at the time, so maybe."

"Did it happen when you met her?" Bishop asked now, still looking at him with a thoughtful expression.

"No, I'd known her for years before that."

"Curious," Ellie just replied, finally averting her glance from him. "Got to read up on that."

"Don't," Tony answered. "It doesn't matter, really."

"Okay, if you say so," she replied and bit her lip for a second before she turned towards their boss. "Boss?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit smaller like every time she talked to him.

"Hm," he just grunted, not looking up from the files he was reading.

"Have you heard about someone being that close before?"

Tony grimaced and gestured grandly, trying to get Bishop's attention. The topic was a no-go for Gibbs for obvious reasons. Tony had caught glimpses of Gibbs' own clock every now and then and every time it had made him sad reading the big zeroes on it, indicating Shannon's death. Bishop finally turned to look at him and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" she mouthed.

Tony just shook his head, only now remembering that Ellie didn't know a thing about Gibbs' late wife, hadn't probably even seen Gibbs' arm yet. No wonder, when the guy always wore these long sleeves to work. But then, Gibbs finally turned to look at Bishop with an indecipherable look on his face.

"Does that have anything to do with the cold case?" he asked, his voice quiet, his lips forming a tight line.

"N-No," she answered, casting another almost panicky look at Tony before she turned back to her work.

Gibbs stared at her for a second before he, probably unconsciously, rubbed a hand over his right forearm. Tony let out a soft sigh which caused Bishop to look up at him again and Gibbs to glare at him for a split of a second.

"Still think it's weird," she said with a shrug before they all went back to work again and for the first time in over thirteen years, Tony couldn't help but think so, too.

What exactly _had _changed back then?


	3. 21

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! :) Loved every single one of them. This chapter will set the last of the groundwork in this 'world'... things will move on quicker from now on ;) Hope you like it._

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Chapter Three: 21

The next day, Tony tried to look as busy as possible. They still hadn't gotten a new case and it was already the sixth in a row that he was looking at the same old cold case. Frankly, he had known since the first time looking at it that nothing new would pop up, but still he was there, working on it - or at the moment, pretending to be working on it. In reality, he was browsing the internet for possible reasons why his clock had changed so suddenly thirteen years ago. There was a lot of nonsense online, there was always a lunatic who'd tell you that your clock was defect or whatever. But there were more plausible ones, too. Some thought, just like Tony did, that they simply chose to see somebody else that day, that they were deliberately walking the other direction. This was still what Tony was thinking, too. Then, there were again others who claimed that you didn't only have one soul mate waiting there for you. The clocks would change so quickly because one of your soul mates had found another one, but there were still others out there for you. Tony reckoned it was a comfortable thought, but it surely didn't explain the millions of clocks that had just turned to zero. Like Gibbs'.

Thinking of the man, Tony looked up and almost let out a startled yell when the bossman himself was standing right in front of him, raising an eyebrow.

"What's up?" he managed to choke out, still trying to recover from the initial shock.

Gibbs just snorted and shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Pack up for today. Director's orders. Knowing our luck, we'll get called in an hour or so anyway, but might as well try to get home."

"Seriously?" Bishop piped up across from him. "That's awesome. This way I'll actually get to see Jake before he flies to L.A."

"What's he doing there?" Tony questioned while he shut down his computer, glad that Gibbs hadn't seen him not working.

"Visiting his grandma. It's her birthday tomorrow."

"That's nice," Tony replied, packing up the rest of his things. "Why aren't you going?"

"She doesn't like me all that much," Ellie replied, screwing up her face. "She thinks I'm too blond."

"But she's from L.A.!" McGee joined their conversation when they were already standing in front of the elevators.

"Yeah, well, I don't know," Bishop replied laughing, but Tony didn't pay attention anymore as he was suddenly hit by a confusion that clearly wasn't his own.

He let out a sigh and turned around, waving at Gibbs who was still sitting at his desk, watching them closely with a speculative look on his face. He just nodded in reply to Tony's wave and then the elevator was there, effectively interrupting their exchange. Tony got into the elevator, still not listening to his colleagues. Something was bothering him and it surely wasn't his amusement over Bishop's grandma-in-law or the weird confused feeling inside of him. Acting on intuition, he pressed the button to Abby's lab. Maybe she could make him see sense.

Arriving there, he said goodbye to McGee and Bishop and then covered his ears when Abby's usual loud music reached him.

"Abby," he shouted, making her turn around and shut off the music. "Got a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"It's just, um," he started rather awkwardly as he sat down on one of the chairs in front of her computers. "Before you met your boyfriend… um… did you like feel him?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, furrowing a brow.

"Like feeling what he felt. When was annoyed or happy or lonely or whatever."

"Huh, no, I don't think so. Why you're asking? Do you? Feel them? You must be pretty close, right?"

"Twenty-one days," Tony replied rubbing a hand over his face. "I constantly feel annoyed or lonely and I'm sure it's not me who's feeling it. But if you say you didn't have it, I guess I'm just imagining it."

"I wouldn't say that," Abby said, sitting down next to him. "I've always thought that there were different kinds of soul mates. Like, for example, Ryan and me. I mean I love him and all, but I'm pretty sure we'll never have what… I don't know… Palmer and Breena have… or Gibbs had with Shannon, probably. It's not bad or anything, I'm sure I'll be very happy with him. I just think that they were actually made for each other, while others, like me Ryan and me, have just kind of been pushed together by fate. I'm not quite sure how to explain it."

"No, I think I get it," Tony replied slowly before he sighed loudly.

"Just go and ask Gibbs, I'm sure, he'll headslap you at first, but he's going to give you an answer."

"No way, Abs. He's never talked about his clock and stuff before. I'll be dead if I asked."

"Just try. I know you always go to him when something's on your mind. It'll help."

Tony just nodded before he stood up, gave her a quick hug and was about to leave the lab when she started talking again.

"Don't go looking like it's the worst thing that's ever happened to you. If my theory is right, you'll be one of the luckiest people on earth, Tony."

Tony just nodded, giving her a smile as he turned around. He knew that she was probably right, but he didn't exactly feel euphoric about it all. Something was so strangely off lately and he had no idea how to stop the feeling of utter loneliness.

As he pressed the button to the garage, however, he suddenly didn't feel lonely at all. It was like his soul mate was feeling apprehensive now. Great, now he had something to worry about them, too. What if something happened to them? Letting out yet another sigh, Tony climbed into his car. Maybe talking to Gibbs actually would help. He'd at least talk the nonsense that Abby had just implemented into his brain right out of him.

##

Tony walked down the steps to the basement a little while later. Just like expected Gibbs was down there, sanding down a piece of wood.

"What are you working on this time?" Tony asked en lieu of a greeting.

"Thinking about starting another boat," Gibbs shrugged indifferently as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Haven't built one of those in a long time."

"Hmm," Gibbs just replied as he walked over to the workbench to pour Tony a jar of bourbon. "What's up?"

"Can't I pay you a friendly visit?" Tony asked as he took the offered drink.

"Sure can. Is this one? A friendly visit?"

"No," Tony chuckled despite himself. "I got a question, but I'm not sure you want to answer it."

"Is this about your clock?" Gibbs asked, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"How did you…?" Tony started, but the older man interrupted him with a chuckle of his own.

"You've been watching the damn thing for weeks now, DiNozzo. I'm not blind."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"No, I get it. Exciting times ahead."

Tony just wanted to reply but stopped dead when he saw the faraway look in his boss' eyes and suddenly felt like he was intruding in a very private moment. When Gibbs started speaking again, however, his voice was steady and his eyes trained back on Tony.

"So what do you want to know?"

"It's… kind of weird, I suppose, because Abby didn't have it and McGee and the others never mentioned it either. And you really don't need to answer or anything because I know that you…"

"Just spit it out, Tony," Gibbs replied in an impatient but still strangely soft kind of voice.

"Did you… before you met Shannon… did you, like, feel her? Like when she was sad?"

Gibbs looked at him for a moment, his expression unreadable before he nodded once, his eyes glazing over ever so slightly.

"You did?"

"Yeah. It stopped after we met, though."

"Okay, good to know I'm not going crazy over here," Tony tried to joke, but it fell flat when Gibbs looked at him sharply.

"You don't seem happy about it."

Tony downed his bourbon in one go and sighed again, trying to come up with the right words to say.

"Yeah, it's just… it's weird, you know. I'm actually kind of happy as things are right now. I don't need anyone right now. I know I'll probably change my mind when I meet her or him and all… but, I mean, if something happens to them, I'm not sure I'd be able to live through it like you did. You still managed to move on somehow. I'm certain I can't do that."

Gibbs looked at him for a long moment before he sipped from his own bourbon and cleared his throat.

"Everybody is afraid of that, Tony. You can't change that. But when you've met them, you just know that there's nobody better out there. You just click from the moment you meet. You know you belong to them and never want to spend a day apart, trust me. All the stuff you're thinking now won't be important anymore."

Tony nodded thoughtfully, feeling something settle inside of him. He knew Gibbs was right, he had had it once before after all. His boss just nodded in return, indicating that the conversation was over before he turned back to his boat-to-be. Tony watched him in silence, occasionally catching a glimpse of the big zeroes on his arm. He stayed a little while longer before he finally got up to drive home.

But something wasn't quite right. Even when he lay in bed that night, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had felt that way before. The way Gibbs had described to him earlier in the basement. He just couldn't put a finger on it.  
Before he could dwell on it for too long, though, he felt a wave of jealousy wash over him without his consent. He wondered why the soul mate would feel jealous all of a sudden when the meeting date was approaching so quickly. Shaking his head, he turned around and tried to think of something else. This soul mate thing was really messing with his head and he'd try his best to stay focused on different things for the time being. These twenty-one days would go by too fast anyway.


	4. 18

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this one. Thanks again for all your reviews and favorites :) Hope you like this chapter and keep on reading :) x_

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**Chapter Four: 18**

God, he hated Mondays. Tony walked out the elevator, glumly looking out the windows, where the sun was shining brightly. He would have loved to just walk outside, have a cup of coffee and just enjoy life, but of course he had to work. _Mondays._  
And yet, it didn't feel all that bad in comparison to any other Monday. He was actually keen on going to work and see his people. That per se wasn't unusual, but the sudden jittery feeling he had in his stomach when he sat down at his desk and saw Gibbs and the others was. It was weird. He felt downright joyful.

Subtly shaking his head, he booted up his computer, meaning to cast a quick glance at Gibbs, but stopped dead then. Gibbs was openly staring at him, his eyes set on Tony's own ones. He stared right back at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"You okay?" he finally asked when the look became too intense for his liking, causing both McGee and Bishop to look up at him.

"Yeah, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied briskly, shaking his head as if he hadn't even been aware that he'd done something out of the ordinary. "Did you finish your report on Friday?"

"Yeah, should be in your inbox somewhere," Tony answered, subtly shaking his head, too.

He was still slightly taken aback but decided to ignore it for the moment, knowing that Gibbs would most likely be irritated if he continued to watch him more closely than usual.  
And sure enough, he didn't have much time to think about it anyway because Gibbs' cell rang a few minutes later, finally bringing them the long awaited case.

##

By the end of the day, Tony could almost feel Bishop and McGee's irritability. Whatever they had tried to find out, Tony had just been a step ahead of them, already presenting his findings to their boss. He didn't know why, he was just on a roll today. He'd think of things before Gibbs even told them what to do. It was a great feeling as he wasn't used to it anymore. Back then when it had only been Gibbs and him, he'd get the occasional praise, spurring him on. He was still getting them now, too, but he always had to share them with the other two, so this was really good.  
He grinned at Ellie as he shut off his computer for the day, feeling certain that they would crack the case the next day. Gut feeling told him he was right about that and while it wasn't anywhere Gibbs' accuracy, he'd take it for tonight.  
Bishop grinned back at him ever so slightly, even though she looked tired and Tony was just about to comment on it when he felt a sudden tug in his stomach. Feeling slightly nervous, he brought a hand to it as he watched McGee and Bishop walking to the elevator and disappearing inside of it.

"DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, boss?" Tony answered, turning around to face Gibbs.

"You okay?" he echoed Tony's question from that very morning. "Look pale."

"No, I'm fine. I'm just…" Tony stopped, pondering if he should tell Gibbs about that odd feeling when he realized that they had already talked about it after all. "I feel nervous, but I got no clue why, you know?"

"Huh," Gibbs just answered, furrowing a brow.

"I forgot to ask," Tony continued as he looked around the bullpen and realized it was empty. "Did, uh,… Shannon ever tell you if she… felt you, too?"

"No, she didn't. Had no clue what I was talking about."

"Ever wondered why that was?"

"Yeah," Gibbs replied as they made their way to exit the bullpen. "But there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"Does that bother you?" Tony couldn't help but quip and he suddenly felt amused as the previous nervous feeling vanished.

"What do you think?" Gibbs replied dryly as he pressed the button to the garage. "You got any plans tonight?"

Tony chanced a sideways glance at him, but Gibbs just seemed to be genuinely curious, so he answered. "No, not really. Drink a glass of wine or two. Celebrate a day you haven't head slapped me at all."

The slap on the head that followed was no surprise the question that followed was though.

"You care for a steak? My place?"

"Sure," Tony answered, finally turning to look at his boss more closely. "What brought this up?"

"Nothing," Gibbs replied, obviously a bit bashful and annoyed at the same time.

"Yeah, because you just hand out invitations every second."

"Ok, forget it," Gibbs replied as he stalked out the elevator, obviously amused now.

"No, I'm coming, Gibbs," Tony hurried to catch up with him. He might be confused, but he would never turn down one of Gibbs' cowboy style steaks. "Follow you home?"

"Yup," was all the older man replied before he climbed into his truck and drove away, leaving Tony standing there, feeling giddy and nervous all at once.

##

Tony leaned back against the back of the couch, sighing loudly.

"This was really good. Thanks, Gibbs."

The other man just grunted in reply, his eyes never leaving the television in front of them, where a baseball game was playing.

"You did good today."

"Yeah," Tony replied, scratching the back of his head. "Don't know why. Just had a… gut feeling maybe?"

"That or you're just a good investigator."

Slightly taken aback as he hadn't expected two compliments in a row from Gibbs off all people, Tony sat up straighter, eyeing his boss carefully.

"You sure everything's alright, boss? You're not dying, are you?"

Gibbs let out a snort and whacked him upside the head again as he shook his own.

"Nah, no such luck, DiNozzo. Just might be the last chance to… you know… tell you."

"Am _I_ dying?" Tony asked, openly staring at Gibbs until the older man finally turned to look at him.

Tony had no idea what was going on. He knew that Gibbs knew he was good at his job and he also knew that Gibbs was not a man of many words, so he had no idea what had brought this up. The older man had a slightly vulnerable expression on his face, but he covered it pretty quickly, replacing it with an unreadable neutral mask, which only served to make Tony even more nervous.

"No, just thinking about the future. You might not be here anymore in a few months or so."

"Director say anything to you?" Tony checked back, not understanding what the hell Gibbs was talking about.

"No," Gibbs said, obviously annoyed by now. "But you might move, might decide to find another job, that kind of stuff."

"Have you been drinking, boss?" Tony replied, shaking his head vigorously. "There's no way I'm leaving this team. You guys are all I have. You know that."

"You won't be thinking like that once you've met her."

"You talking about the soul mate?" At Gibbs' nod, Tony continued. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm not giving up on the one good thing that has ever happened to me. I might not be as smart as McGee is, but I'm not entirely dumb, you know?"

Gibbs remained silent for a moment and Tony took that chance to study the older man. He was looking rather sad and Tony felt that weird nervous something tug at his insides again. He still felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone due to Gibbs acting so weird, but at the same time he realized with a jolt that he was sitting next to the real Gibbs, the one who was entirely honest and open. He had seen that version of Gibbs a few times and he could count them with the fingers on one hand. Still, he had no idea what had brought this up.  
Almost unconsciously, Tony brought his hand to his right forearm and traced the numbers there. Why did they have to screw everything up?

"Okay," Gibbs finally said, a look of determination suddenly on his face. "I'll take you up on it."

"No, _I_ will take you up on it, boss."

Gibbs nodded again, turning back to the game that was still on. Tony stared at his boss for a moment longer before he did the same, though he wasn't really watching the game at all. A few moments passed before he bumped his shoulder against Gibbs', unable to think of a better way to end that awkward situation.

"You won't get rid of me that easily."

"Good," Gibbs replied and Tony felt a wave of relief wash over him as he realized that the seriousness was gone from the older man's voice.

Gibbs leaned into their touch for a second before he stood up to get another beer for both of them. And just like that, Tony was feeling better again, even though he had no idea when he had started to feel… well, bad… before.


	5. 16

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I promise I'll try to post faster than this ;) Thanks for the support :) _

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Chapter Five: 16

"Boss," Ellie came running towards where Tony and Gibbs were standing in front of the big screen in the bullpen. "I got something. Petty Officer Crate was involved in…"

"Gambling," Gibbs interrupted him at the same time that Tony brought up the evidence on the screen, causing McGee to chuckle.

"Forget it, Bishop," he said. "Tony and Gibbs are on a roll today. No chance you can bring any news, believe me."

"How did you know?" Bishop checked back incredulously. "I only just talked to his wife and…"

"Gibbs' gut is unbeatable. Just accept it," McGee grinned ever so slightly, even though he had just been annoyed about it only a few minutes before because Gibbs had been faster coming up with the same thing than he was.

"Actually," Gibbs replied sardonically. "It was Tony who came up with this one."

"Great," McGee groaned rather playfully. "We'll never hear the end of this."

"Ah, come on," Tony answered, only just suppressing a smile. "I won't say anything. I'm a grown-up. I just want to close the case as soon as possible."

"Sure," Bishop said as she sat down at her desk.

Tony looked at her for a moment before he turned back to the screen, picking up the conversation with Gibbs again, feeling oddly proud of himself. Praise from Gibbs would never get old, even after thirteen years working for the man. He chanced a glance at him and was mildly surprised when Gibbs was looking directly back at him. For a split of a second, Tony's stomach felt queasy before something similar to a smile was seen on Gibbs' face for a moment. But before he could dwell on it for too long, the older man was back to business and the day went on without a hitch, resulting in a murderer behind bars by five o'clock.

##

A couple of hours later Tony was getting slightly restless. He had sat down hours ago, switching on his television, but it didn't give him its usual comfort. His mind was running overtime like every moment he had had time to think ever since he had returned from Gibbs' the other night.  
Would he really just leave his team like that? Would he really consider giving up this job and his friends? Just thinking about it now made him sick. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave McGee and Abby. Didn't want to live without Jimmy's clumsiness or Ducky's wisdom. Hell, he'd even miss Bishop, who he'd grown attached to over the last couple of months. But most of all, he couldn't imagine ever being without Gibbs. They'd been partners and friends for thirteen years now and Tony just couldn't see himself leaving the one stable thing in his life. There was just no way. His soul mate would simply have to deal with that.

He chanced a look at his watch, trying to figure out if it was actually too late to go over there and watch him work on his brand new boat. It was a little after nine and while he usually wouldn't go that late, he decided to do it anyway. He needed someone to talk to in order to do something against the restlessness inside of him. Damn, this whole soul mate thing was messing with his head.

A little while later, Tony felt relief rush through him when he walked down the stairs to the basement where Gibbs was sanding away.

"Hey," he greeted him, sitting down on the last of the stairs.

"What's up?" Gibbs answered, not looking up from his work.

"Nothing, really. Just needed some company."

"Okay," Gibbs replied and Tony knew that he wasn't asking on purpose, giving him time to think and come up with the right words to say.

They stayed silent for a little while with Gibbs sanding and Tony watching him. He didn't know why he was looking for Gibbs' comfort so frequently these days, but it just seemed too right to really question it. The older man didn't seem to mind and Tony would enjoy the time they had left as much as he could. Just when he was about to actually speak up, talking about the latest game he had seen just an hour before, Gibbs' cell rang. He grudgingly picked it up, quite obviously expecting another case for them. When he answered, though, and listened to the other end, he suddenly turned white. Tony who had been watching him closely, immediately stood up, feeling shock suddenly rush through him. He only came to a stop right in front in Gibbs, who was currently answering a question as if on auto-pilot. He said something about a hospital and that he'd be there as soon as he could.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked as soon as the older man hung up, feeling dread suddenly settle in.

"My dad…," Gibbs replied hesitantly, running a rather shaky hand over his face. "He's dead."

"Shit," Tony cursed under his breath, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to hug the other man, but he refrained for the time being. "What happened?"

"Heart attack," Gibbs answered distractedly, looking around the basement as if it held the answers to all his questions. "Doc was too late."

"I'm sorry, Gibbs," Tony offered, feeling just as lost and sad as Gibbs looked. "Anything I can do?"

Almost imperceptibly the older man shook his head before he shrugged once.

"Don't know," he finally said quietly, still not looking at him, and Tony was sure that he was avoiding meeting his eyes on purpose now.

He couldn't blame him, either. He had no idea what he'd do if this was to happen to him, despite the difficulties with his own dad. Deep sadness settled within him as he thought about how Jackson had brightened each day he'd been here in DC or how open he'd been when the team had been in Stillwater.  
He watched Gibbs become paler by the second and finally threw all caution to the wind and closed the remaining distance between them to give him a one-armed hug. To his utter surprise, Gibbs hugged him back, his arms coming around him, almost crushing him. For a fleeting moment, Tony was reminded of one of Abby's hugs. He breathed in the scent of sawdust that clung to the older man and suddenly felt a bit comforted just by the other man's hug. It was brief, however, but when Gibbs stepped away from him, he seemed a bit less pale.

"You going to Stillwater?" Tony finally asked when the silence stretched on.

Gibbs just nodded and Tony suddenly felt insecure because he had no idea what to do now. In an instant, though, he realized that he couldn't let the man drive like that. Not when he was a crazy driver on a good day.

"I'm driving," he stated, watching Gibbs' eyes go wide before he shook his head.

"No way," Gibbs finally spoke. "We've got work."

"I'll use some of my vacation days. I'm sure the probies can hold down the fort for a couple of days."

Gibbs seemed like he wanted to protest, but one look at Tony apparently was enough to shut him up. Slumping his shoulders, he nodded once. "Okay."

"Okay," Tony replied, trying to give him a smile, but he wasn't sure if the corners of his mouth even twitched. "I'll go home, pack some stuff and then pick you up again. Okay?"

"Yeah," Gibbs replied, already on his way up the stairs.

Tony stared after him for a second before he got moving, too. He wouldn't waste time like this. He had things to do and would do everything in his power to help his boss. He took two stairs at a time and dialed McGee's number as he climbed into his car and backed out of Gibbs' driveway.

"We got a new case?" McGee slightly slurry voice answered after a moment.

"No," Tony replied. "Jackson died… I'm going to Stillwater with Gibbs." He stopped for a second, a wave of sadness washing over him again. "I'll check in as soon as I can. Just wanted to let you know."

"Okay," McGee replied quietly. "Anything I can do?"

"Just take care of work stuff."

"Will do. Tell Gibbs I'm sorry. And call when you need anything."

"Thanks, Tim," Tony said and then hung up.

##

He had packed a couple of things for himself and half an hour later he was on his way back to Gibbs' place. Only now did the thought occur to him that Gibbs might have gone without him despite Tony's offer. It wouldn't be the first time Gibbs would pull a stunt like that after all. He accelerated ever so slightly. He wouldn't let the older man go without him. Not this time. He didn't know if Gibbs appreciated his help, but Tony knew that he as sure as hell would if it were him.  
For a moment, his thoughts reached Jackson again and he felt his heart miss a beat. He had known, of course, that he was getting old, but he had still seemed like he was unbeatable despite that fact. He was full of life the last time Tony had seen him.

And now… he was just gone. Gone.

Tony took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. He felt tears stinging his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. This wasn't his job. His job was to be there for Gibbs, even though he had no idea, why he wanted to help him so desperately.

He finally pulled over into Gibbs' driveway and was relieved when the older man stood there, apparently waiting for him. He immediately walked over, threw his duffel bag onto the backseat and then climbed into the car. Tony looked at him for a moment and suddenly just knew that he had done the right thing. Gibbs was looking right back at him for a second before he grabbed for the seatbelt and just like that, Tony felt a bit better. He was right where he needed to be. So he let out a soft sigh and started to back out of the driveway again.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, the roaring of the engine the only sound to be heard. Then, Gibbs – of all people – turned on the radio, searching for and finding a station to his liking. For once Tony didn't complain about the country songs, as he found them oddly soothing at the moment.

They had just left DC when Gibbs finally cleared his throat and Tony could feel his eyes on him. He wanted to say something, but was at a loss for words, so he remained silent, knowing that the older man knew anyhow.

"Thanks," Gibbs said after a little while, his voice unusually quiet. "You didn't need to."

"Sure did," Tony said glancing at him. "Nowhere else I'm supposed to be."

He saw Gibbs nod once and he turned his head back to look at the street ahead of them. He really was where he should be and he knew that Gibbs agreed… because otherwise he wouldn't have let him drive in the first place.


	6. 15

_A/N: Aaah, sorry guys for the long wait on this one. Kid got sick and all that fuss, stopped me from actually having time for anything. Hopefully won't happen again. Thanks for reading and commenting! :) Hope you like this one!_

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**Chapter Six: 15**

Tony sat down on Gibbs' old childhood room bed and let out a sigh. The night and day had been stressful and sad and devastating all at once. While Gibbs seemed to be able to hold it together pretty well, Tony felt as if he had just lost his own father and not just, well, his boss' dad. They had arranged everything they could have, had closed down the store for the time being, had talked to funeral homes and all the other stuff that needed to be taken care of. Now, he felt exhausted and it was barely even eight o'clock at night.

He looked around Gibbs' old room and couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't been in here before and yet he would have picked this room for young Gibbs over any other place. Posters of sailboats and the Marines were pinned to the walls, a few football trophies from high school were collecting dust and old school books were crammed into a few shelves. Looked like Jackson had never cleaned this room out and safe for a picture of Gibbs, Shannon and Kelly that stood next to an old radio, it was still 1976 in here. Tony stood up now and walked over to where a couple of old pictures frames were standing. He looked at them for a few moments, realizing that Gibbs actually looked a lot like his mother, as he felt sadness sweeping over him again. He had only realized now that despite Gibbs' gruff exterior, he truly was alone now. There were no more parents, no wives, no daughter. He was the only Gibbs left. Tony swallowed hard. He didn't want Gibbs to be alone like that. He knew that he still had him, Abby and Ducky, Leyla and Amira, but it suddenly made him sadder than ever before.

Before he could dwell on it for too long, though, the door opened up and Gibbs walked in, looking just as exhausted as Tony felt.

"Hey," the younger man greeted him.

Gibbs just nodded and then sank down on his old bed just like Tony had done a couple of minutes earlier. He looked around for a moment before his glance reached his agent and he let out another sigh.

"Think we're done for today," he finally said, running a hand over his face.

"Yeah," Tony replied, sitting down next to him. "Want me to find a hotel for the night?"

"No, I'm just going to stay here. You can, too. Couch's pretty comfortable downstairs."

"Okay," he agreed. "He never changed anything around here, did he?" he added after a little while, letting his glance wander again.

"Not a damn thing," Gibbs chuckled sadly.

"I think it's nice," Tony went on without thinking. "I got nothing left of my childhood. One of the ex-wives threw it out while I was in my first year of college. Not that I would have wanted all the stuff conserved like it's here, but a few pictures of Mom and me would have been nice, you know?"

"Yeah," Gibbs replied thoughtfully before he stood up again, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a photo album.

He handed it to Tony, who took it with more than just a little surprise.

"You sure?" he checked back, but Gibbs just nodded at him, so Tony opened it up and was greeted by an old photograph of a baby Gibbs.

"Cute," he couldn't help but let out a laugh as he turned one page after another.

There weren't many shots, but there were pictures of the most memorable moments of Gibbs' childhood and while Tony was looking at them, he could almost feel Gibbs' composure fall. When he finally turned to look at him after seeing a picture of him and Shannon at their wedding, Gibbs was wearing an oddly torn expression on his face.

"You okay?" Tony asked quietly, knowing that this wasn't like Gibbs to look like that, not even when his dad had just died.

"Yeah," he shrugged in response. "Just… long day."

"You're right," Tony stood up, having gotten the clue. "I'll go downstairs then. I'm just going to call McGee to check in for a sec and all."

"'kay," Gibbs replied and Tony was just about to walk out the room when he realized that he still had the album in his hands. "Sorry," he apologized and wanted to give it back, but Gibbs just shook his head.

"Take it, I'm sure you want to send Abby some pictures."

Tony, despite himself, let out a laugh and was somewhat relieved when Gibbs smiled back at him for a second or two. He watched Gibbs get up from the bed and then finally got moving again. It had been a long day after all.

#

A little while later Tony tried to get comfortable on the old couch in Jackson's living room. He was tired like hell, but yet his mind wouldn't shut up long enough to let him sleep. His own memories were mixing up with the photos he had looked at for the last half an hour. He pictured young Gibbs fighting with Jackson, the two of them going fishing together or simply having a nice dinner with Gibbs' mom. He had no idea why his mind was cooking up stories like that, but he was too tired to question it for too long. It was clearly just his over-imaginative brain that kept on throwing pseudo memories at him. Little did that knowledge help him, though, to find some sleep. He wished he could help Gibbs in some way, help him more than he had already done, but he knew there was nothing to be done for the time being. He was there with him and he knew that if Gibbs needed anything he would just tell him. Yet, Tony couldn't help but feel slightly useless. He wanted to do … more. It was as simple as that.

He was just about to turn around for the 100th time when he heard quiet footsteps coming down the stairs, so he sat up and switched on the light, watching Gibbs walk down.

"Didn't mean to wake you up," the older man said and it almost sounded like an apology.

"Haven't slept yet."

"Yeah," Gibbs just replied, walking into the kitchen. "Care for some bourbon?"

"Sure," Tony replied, pulling on a t-shirt that he had grabbed from where he had discarded it earlier.

Gibbs sat down next to him after a few moments, handing him the promised drink. They sat in silence for a while, each of them sipping the liquor and hanging in thoughts. Only when Gibbs started to fidget ever so slightly, which was so out of character for him, that Tony immediately started to feel nervous because of it, too, did the younger man turn to look at him again. He didn't know what to say though, so he just stared at him, sending his boss his own patented Gibbs-glare. After a little while it worked as Gibbs suddenly looked him in the eyes.

"Know what the worst thing about this is?" he then asked so quietly, that Tony wasn't entirely sure he had spoken at all.

"No," he prompted when Gibbs instead of talking gulped down the rest of his drink.

"Dad called me up just a few days ago. He was so excited he could barely get the words out."

"What was it about?" Tony asked, sensing that this was important to the older man. Otherwise he wouldn't tell him about it in the middle of the night.

"He said his clock," Gibbs replied almost hesitantly as he chanced a glance at Tony. "Had started counting again."

"What?"

"It had started again. My mom… well, after she died, his clock had always been at zero. But he said it had begun ticking again two weeks ago. It was really close, too. Only a couple of days."

"How… I mean… why?" Tony all but stuttered, gaping at the older man next to him who just shrugged.

"The hell if I know," he just replied, refilling his drink.

"Never heard of anything like it. Have you?" Tony said, running a hand through his hair, but only got a shrug in response. "I hate these clock things," he continued, gesturing towards his own that had just switched to a little under fifteen days. "They mess with your head. Would be so much easier without them. No worry about never meeting the one because you simply wouldn't know."

"You say that now," Gibbs replied quietly, downing his second drink in one gulp.

"No, Gibbs. If I could stop these clock things, I would. They're doing no good. You obsess over them, you despair because of them and they make you want to lose your mind when they're turning to zero."

"And they give you hope," the older man said so quietly that Tony moved closer towards him. "Don't tell me you're not getting exciting about the day you'll meet them. Worked for me, too. When I met Shannon and then…," he trailed off, apparently realizing that he was sharing rather intimate thoughts by now.

Tony stared at him for a few moments before he nodded once. He knew that Gibbs was probably right, but it just felt so unfair at times, especially tonight when one woman's dream of meeting a potential other had just literally died.

"Sorry," he started, but Gibbs stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"Don't," he just said and stood up. "Gonna head up again. Try to get some sleep."

"Yeah," Tony answered slowly, not knowing what had suddenly brought up the slight tension between the two of them, but decided to blame it on recent events. "Night."

"Night," Gibbs replied as he walked up the stairs again, leaving Tony sitting there for a long time after he had disappeared.

He knew that he had done nothing wrong and that Gibbs wasn't mad at him or anything, but yet he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty inside of him. He knew that he shouldn't feel that way, but something was nagging at him nonetheless. He didn't know what exactly it was, but the thought about the clocks starting to tick again suddenly had him nervous. He knew that it should have been a comforting thought, but there was something inside of him that made him more than just a bit uncomfortable. Nothing could ever be easy, could it?

Sighing, he lay down again, suddenly feeling particularly lonely. He would have to stop thinking about the clocks, there were more pressing matters on his hands right now and yet his thoughts were always coming back to his arm and its engraved clock. And if that didn't suck, nothing ever would.


	7. 12

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback! :) Hope you like the next chapter, too. Things will be moving a bit faster from now on :)_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: 12**

Tony let out a laugh when Amira destroyed the sad excuse of a sandcastle they had just tried to build in one swoop. He was sitting on the edge of the sandbox that was located in Jackson's backyard. Tony didn't have a clue why it was there in the first place, but the moment Amira had laid eyes on it an hour earlier, he knew that it would not go to waste. She had practically dragged him – of all people – over there, begging him to play with her. So now he was sitting there, his brand new dress pants ruined, but he couldn't bring himself to care even one bit.

He glanced over to where Gibbs and Leyla were coming out from the house again. They had just said goodbye to Abby, Ducky and McGee, who had been at the funeral earlier today. Tony knew that it had meant a lot to Gibbs that they had all come, even though he'd never tell them of course. There had been a lot of people at the funeral and while Tony could tell that Gibbs was glad that so many people from Jackson's life had turned up, he had still been feeling a little overwhelmed by it, too. It wasn't for nothing that Gibbs hadn't visited Stillwater all that frequently after all. He and Tony would leave tomorrow after everything was settled for the time being and Leyla had decided to stay behind, too, as she wasn't too keen on driving at night. She had booked a hotel for her and Amira at the other end of town and judging from a wide yawn coming from Amira right at that moment, Tony was sure that they wouldn't stay for too long now either.

"Amira," Leyla chided playfully. "You just destroyed Tony's hard work here. It was such a beautiful castle."

"No, it wasn't," Amira giggled as Tony threw a handful of sand at her, careful of not throwing too high, so that she would get it into her eyes.

"It really wasn't," he relented smiling. "Haven't built one of those in like forty years."

"Sad excuse," Gibbs joined their conversation as he sat down next to Tony and let out a sigh.

Tony looked at him for a moment, taking in the fine lines on his forehead and the tired-looking eyes. At the same time, he seemed content, though, and Tony suddenly realized that he really was, too. Despite it being his father's funeral, he could tell that Gibbs liked having his extended family there with him.

"Come on," Leyla interrupted his line of thought, reaching out a hand to help her daughter get up. "We have to go now."

"But I want continue to play with Uncle Tony," Amira groused, looking at Tony who felt something warm settle in his stomach. "He's funny."

"You can play with him next time he comes over, okay?" Leyla said, and quickly grinned at Tony, who just nodded with a smile.

"Yes, princess. Maybe even _Gibbsy _here will come and play, too. I've heard he's good at Twister."

The head slap that followed that statement wasn't a surprise, the giggles from both Leyla and Amira, however, were.

"I always thought, you were joking about those," Leyla said, looking at Gibbs with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah," he just answered and was about to get up to see them to the door, when Leyla just rested a hand on his shoulder and kept him in place.

"You stay here. We'll find our way out. Call if you need us tomorrow. Amira, say goodbye to Gibbs and Tony."

"Bye, Gibbs," Amira promptly said, giving him a long hug and Tony could almost feel the love she was radiating. "Bye, Uncle Tony," she then continued, letting go of the older man just to give Tony the same heart-felt hug. "You have to cheer up Gibbsy for me, okay?" she then whispered into his ear, so that only he could hear.

"I promise," Tony whispered back just as quietly and he meant it, too.

With a satisfied look on her face, Amira drew back and then she and Leyla left them alone, sitting there, staring into space for a while.

"She sure likes you," Gibbs finally said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, god knows why," Tony joked back, earning himself a soft chuckle from Gibbs.

"You're great with her," Gibbs contradicted him almost softly. "She calls you Uncle Tony, that has got to mean something."

"I guess," Tony replied, grinning at him. "So," he then continued more seriously. "What's on the agenda for the rest of the day?"

"Drinking," Gibbs answered, his tone of voice so serious that the chuckle that had wanted to escape Tony got stuck somewhere on its way up.

"Seriously?" he checked back when Gibbs had already stood up.

"Yes."

"Alright then," Tony said, getting up, too. "On your six, boss."

##

Three hours later, Tony couldn't help but realize that he wasn't able to hold his liquor as well as he had thought he would be. He was already three sheets to the wind, while Gibbs, who had had decisively more to drink than he had, was still looking perfectly sober to him.

"Wow," he finally pressed out, taking a deep breath and leaning back against the backrest of the couch in Jackson's living room. "My college-self would be very ashamed of me right now."

"Yeah?" Gibbs replied, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You do realize that bourbon is stronger than your average beer, don't you?"

"Haha," Tony huffed, and despite his better judgment refilled his glass once more. "I'm sorry I'm such lousy company tonight."

"You're not. It's good."

Tony turned to look at the older man a bit more closely now. Gibbs was genuinely smiling at him at the moment and he felt something inside him resolve itself. He blinked once and subtly shook his head. He had no idea what it had just been that had just settled within him, but he didn't dare to question it right now. He was clearly drunk by now and he was sure that Gibbs wasn't exactly keen on hearing about his feelings tonight. It was Gibbs' night after all and Tony had sworn to himself that he would be there for the older man as long as he needed him to.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked and Tony realized that he had been staring at him this whole time.

"Yeah," the younger man replied. "Just thought that this is actually nice, despite everything, you know?"

"Yeah, it is," Gibbs surprisingly agreed and then leaned back, too, resting his head on top of the backrest before he turned it towards Tony again. "Thanks for being here."

"Nah, it's okay," he said, feeling his cheeks grow hot ever so slightly under Gibbs' scrutiny. "You'd do the same for us… me."

Gibbs nodded ever so slightly, but didn't avert his eyes from him. Tony, for a while, stared right back at him and felt an odd mixture of sadness and contentment within him. He could see that Gibbs was sad beyond belief, was missing his father and yet there was the same satisfied look in his eyes that he had also had this very afternoon when he had watched Amira playing with him. And suddenly, just as he was about to take another sip from the bourbon, Tony realized what it was. Gibbs might have lost his father, might have lost the last of his family, but he had managed to build himself a new one, too. A family that would look out for him just like a real one would. There were Leyla and Amira, old enough to be his daughter and granddaughter. There was Abby, McGee and Ducky who were Tony's family, too, much more than his own family had ever been. And as Tony stared right back at the man next to him, he realized that he didn't have the same bond as Abby and McGee had with Gibbs. It was much more than that. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was something beyond the friendship bond there for sure.

Just when Tony thought he might be able to figure it out, Gibbs' eyes had closed and his breathing evened out. Tony stared at him for a second or two before he realized that the older man had fallen asleep. Maybe he had been drunker than he had thought he was. Smiling, Tony covered him up with the blanket he had slept under these last couple of days and then quietly turned off the light and walked upstairs towards Gibbs' bedroom to sleep there.

He shed his dress shirt and pants and only realized then just how dirty they were when the sand fell from them to the floor. He shook his head, trying to shake out the rest out of his clothes, and wondered how he hadn't even noticed before. Maybe he had been around Gibbs too much after all, if he didn't care about his clothing anymore. He chuckled again as he settled down and switched off the lights. His head was already starting to hurt a bit and he hoped that the hangover wouldn't be too cruel in the morning. Maybe he'd ask Gibbs for his remedy because the man never seemed to have one and as attuned Tony was to his ways these days, it surely would help him, too. He really was turning into a younger version of his boss lately, Tony thought, even though he really didn't want to be him. Or was it that he was just…

Tony quickly sat up, his eyes wide and his heart beating erratically in his chest.

He stared into the darkness for a moment, trying to get rid of that particular thought, and then let out a bark of a laugh. He was drunker than he thought after all.


	8. 11

A/N: Thanks again! I hope you like this one, too :)

* * *

**Chapter Eight: 11**

They had closed up the house and store early in the morning the next day, had said goodbye to the few townspeople Gibbs was actually talking to and had then hit the road. Tony was fighting a terrible headache, despite his tabasco-remedy and an ibuprofen. Gibbs – of course – was showing no outward signs that he had a hangover, but Tony wasn't surprised by that. The man could hold his liquor much better than he did.  
They hadn't talked about the previous night except for Gibbs inquiring why Tony hadn't woken him up in order to go to bed. Tony had just shrugged it off, muttering something about letting sleeping dogs lie, which earned him a head slap and a slight smile.

So they were now on the road home towards D.C. Tony had insisted on driving as it was his car after all. They hadn't talked much during the trip, but Tony was long used to Gibbs' silence and it wasn't uncomfortable anyway. Tony knew by now that he didn't need to fill it with nervous chatter anymore, just as he also knew that Gibbs would have listened regardless, but it wasn't important anymore. They knew when they had to let the other be. Tony didn't fool himself into believing that he knew the older man inside out, not like it was the other way around anyway, but he had seen glimpses of the real Gibbs from time to time over the last decade, even more so in these last couple of months. He liked where he stood with Gibbs, liked that he had let him taking care of him in the aftermath of Jack's death. He hadn't felt close to him like this before and he was glad that Gibbs seemed to be accepting of that, too. Not only accepting – he had actually said thanks for it, too.

"I can hear the wheels in your head right now," Gibbs interrupted his train of thought and Tony turned ever so slightly to look at him, seeing an amused smile on the older man's face.

"Sorry, was in Shrek land right now."

"Huh?"

"Far Far away," Tony clarified with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "You got to watch it with Amira some time. She'll love it."

"Disney?" Gibbs checked back, catching Tony by surprise as he hadn't expected him to follow up on his movie reference.

"DreamWorks, I think," he replied, "but close enough, I guess."

The car was plunged in silence after that again for a while and Tony concentrated on driving, dismissing his earlier thoughts for the time being. He didn't even understand why he was thinking about it so much lately anyway.

"So what were you thinking about?" Gibbs uncharacteristically started the conversation up again.

Tony let out a soft chuckle, trying to come up with something that didn't seem as suspicious as the topic he had actually been thinking about.

"Nothing, really. Was just thinking about Jack, the clocks, his clock… that kind of stuff."

"That's nothing, huh?" Gibbs replied, but apparently he hadn't caught Tony's lie, which made him let out a soft sigh.

"No, you know what I mean. Just had a thought about your dad's clock starting again, that's all."

"Like what?"

"It's probably nothing…," Tony hesitantly started, not sure if he really should open up that can of worms. "But did your dad tell you how many days he had had left until he'd meet the one?"

"No, I don't think so," Gibbs said, turning towards Tony with a speculative expression. "Why?"

"I just thought," Tony started, passing an old Volvo, while driving a little over the speed limit, "Maybe it had actually started counting down until he'd be reunited with your mom again."

Silence followed that statement and Tony was just about to apologize for voicing that particular string of thought as he turned around and held himself back. Gibbs wasn't silent because he was angry at Tony for talking about his dead mother. It looked like he seemed actually thoughtful.

"Don't think so," he finally said barely audible.

"Why not?" Tony inquired, sensing that there was more to it than just a bare assumption. It was Gibbs after all and he never assumed anything.

There was silence again and Tony could almost feel Gibbs' reluctance to share his thoughts. He wouldn't make him say it, but the older man had started to speak them out loud, so he must have wanted to share them in the first place. So Tony waited patiently. After a while Gibbs did him the favor and slowly started to speak again.

"I don't think it counted down to his death or whatever follows after that."

"Why?"

"Because then, I'd have been dead for about thirteen years, DiNozzo."

Tony had to try hard not to swerve off the street at that reply. His heart suddenly beat erratically and he slowed down just enough to be able to stare at the older man next to him without causing a horrific accident.

"What?"

"I'd be dead."

"Did yours start ticking again?" Tony checked back incredulously and finally stopped the car at a small parking space next to the road.

"Yeah," Gibbs slowly answered, clearly uncomfortable now and he was probably regretting having told him. "From one day to the next, it had started to count down again. First I had the same thought as you and I had no idea whether to be sad or excited about it. But then… only about five days afterwards, it suddenly stopped again. That's why I think it has nothing to do with death or else."

Tony stared at him for what felt like an eternity, desperately trying to keep the sinking feeling in his stomach from getting worse. He had no idea what he was supposed to say to that, didn't know what to tell someone who had not lost one soul mate but very probably his second one, too.

"God, I'm so sorry," he finally pressed out, unable to come up with a more profound answer.

"Don't be," Gibbs replied, relief suddenly settling on his features. "I actually didn't mind too much. I wasn't ready to let them go. I probably never will be and that's perfectly okay."

"Wouldn't you want another shot at it?" checked back Tony, feeling like there was more to it than that statement, despite its unusual openness.

"Didn't back then," Gibbs replied thoughtfully, running a hand over his face. "Not that I could've done anything about it anyway. Was kind of relieved actually when it turned to zero."

"Okay," Tony said slowly, starting up the car again and continued driving. "What do you reckon happened?"

Gibbs stayed silent for a long while and it gave Tony the time to settle his thoughts again. He had never heard about anyone's clock starting again and now he suddenly knew of two people. It didn't help that Gibbs hadn't even wanted to find another one, while millions of others would kill someone to get another shot. But it wasn't really that that was still keeping him on edge, but he didn't know what it was exactly. Maybe it wasn't about him at all, he suddenly realized. Maybe his soul mate was just having another episode of their messed up feelings lately. He subtly shook his head. This wasn't exactly how he should think about them. It wasn't their fault that he could feel them.

"I don't know," Gibbs finally answered almost reluctantly. "Maybe they found someone else… or they died… who knows. I didn't really think about it too much. Didn't even notice it had turned to zero until a few days afterwards."

"Were you too busy divorcing your ex-wife?" Tony quipped, desperately trying to lighten up the situation and conversation.

It worked, too. Gibbs let out a laugh and delivered an almost soft head slap.

"No, I think I was on a case actually," he replied, still unusually open about it all. "Come to think about it, I think it's been the case we've met," he added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, right," Tony laughed, knowing that his leg had been pulled, but as he glanced sideways at his boss, he suddenly realized that he hadn't been joking. "Seriously?"

"I think so."

"Damn," Tony cursed under his breath, his insides suddenly clenching.

He furrowed a brow. What was so wrong about it? Why did it have him all screwed up inside? The stray thought of his drunken mind from the night before suddenly sped back into his brain and he had to swerve ever so slightly in order to keep his car on the street. He knew that it was nonsense. He couldn't be Gibbs' other half, that much was clear. His clock was still counting, despite having met him a long time ago. But why did that fact not settle his mind?  
He chanced a glance at Gibbs who didn't seem too fazed about it and apparently didn't even notice the turmoil Tony was currently in. His calm, though, managed to settle Tony's mind somewhat. If Gibbs didn't think any of it, it surely wasn't Tony's business to explore that crazy thought any further. He let out a breath and then fumbled with the radio, setting it to a 2000s pop station, knowing that Gibbs would hate the living hell out of it.

He heard him groan only a few seconds later, but didn't do anything to switch the station, so Tony didn't need to argue with him. It was good. Everything was fine. Their relationship was good. Nothing worth losing his mind over it.

It really didn't matter anyway because his clock was clearly still counting down from eleven days and a couple of minutes. As if on autopilot, his eyes turned towards his arm and he drew in a surprised breath.  
It weren't eleven days anymore. The clock had changed again. Tony stared at it for another moment, making sure he wasn't hallucinating. But there they were. The numbers that now read 5 days and a couple of hours.

What the hell?


	9. 4

_A/N: Guys, I apologize profusely for letting you wait this long. Work has been crazy these last two weeks and I couldn't manage to find time to sit down and write. I hope the next chapters will be posted faster than this one. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :) You rock!_

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**Chapter Nine: 4**

Tony couldn't stop staring at his arm. He had tried to sleep, had tried to work out, had tried to drink the completely unsettling feeling in his stomach away, but nothing had helped. His eyes would just wander to his arm and the engraved numbers there. He simply couldn't help himself. It was too weird not to worry about it. There hadn't been a time jump in twelve years, so this definitely had to mean something, but he had no idea what exactly. Gibbs' words from their trip back home kept on replaying in his mind over and over again. Had his clock really stopped when he had met Tony all these years back? It seemed like some crazy kind of coincidence, but then again, both of them didn't believe in coincidences at all. But Tony wouldn't let his mind wander in that direction. It was too crazy and it didn't even make sense. His clock was still ticking after all.

##

He could feel the other's eyes on him. He had successfully tried to avoid both McGee and Bishop, had not mentioned anything about his time in Stillwater or his changing numbers. He knew that he wasn't being himself, was too quiet, hadn't told any jokes today, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was too preoccupied with himself to worry about his colleagues.

"DiNozzo, with me," Gibbs voice finally raised him from his thoughts and when Tony looked up, the older man was already on his way to the elevators.

Casting a fugitive glance at Bishop who grinned at him with a raised eyebrow, Tony followed his boss, catching the elevator just before it closed into his face.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, but didn't get an answer for the moment as Gibbs just reached forward and stopped the lift.

"Hopefully back to work," Gibbs replied drily, subtly shaking his head. "What's up?"

"Nothing really," Tony answered, scratching the back of his head. "I'm just… distracted."

"Yeah, I noticed. What brought this up?"

"It's this goddamn clock," Tony answered reluctantly, realizing that Gibbs wouldn't stop asking until he knew what was wrong. "It's driving me crazy. I wasn't prepared for it to change just yet."

"Deal with it," Gibbs answered and despite his rather harsh tone, Tony was able to see his boss' eyes soften ever so slightly. "Can't have you distracted on the job."

"I know, Gibbs," Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't want anything to change."

"It doesn't have to," Gibbs replied.

"But you said so yourself. I probably won't think so in only four days. How fucked up is this?"

"Just push it away for now. Obsessing over it won't help anything. Can you do that?"

"Guess so," Tony sighed again, but nodded nonetheless.

He knew that Gibbs was right. He needed to concentrate on the job at hand and not think about things he couldn't even change. So he nodded again, receiving a pat on his shoulder from the older man and then everything was back to normal.

##

Later that night, Tony sat in his car, staring at his boss' house. He had been there for the last half an hour or so, pondering if he really wanted to disturb Gibbs' night. They had been spending the last couple of days together in Stillwater, had talked more than ever before and yet, Tony hadn't been able to stay away from him that night. He didn't even really know why. It was like there was an invisible force that made him visit his boss. He subtly shook his head, knowing that he should just go home, drink a couple of beers and let it all rest. Gibbs' dad had just died and he wasn't one for company on good days either, so Tony had no right to be there.

He had already started the motor to actually go home, when a tap on his window startled him. When he turned, he saw Gibbs standing next to his car. He didn't seem to be too surprised to see Tony there and he just inclined his head, indicating Tony to follow him back to the house.

Once inside, Gibbs didn't walk down into his basement as Tony had expected, but went into the kitchen to get two beers and then led the way into the living room, sitting down on his couch. Tony did the same a few seconds afterwards and accepted the offered beverage.

They didn't talk for a couple of minutes as Tony just stared at the opposite wall and Gibbs nursed his beer. Tony knew that he should say something, apologize for being there, but he couldn't help but feel oddly at home all of a sudden. Like this was exactly where he was supposed to be. He finally leaned back against the backrest of the couch, turning his head ever so slightly to look at Gibbs a little more closely. He looked tired and a little worn out, but didn't seem to be angry about being disturbed.

"Sorry," he finally said, his voice sounding oddly small.

"What for?" Gibbs just replied, not even mentioning rule six.

"Don't know," Tony shrugged. "For always being here I guess. Don't know why I'm so… clingy lately."

"You're not clingy," Gibbs smirked. "Nothing in comparison to wife number three. I would have to call every hour just to check in. Drove me crazy."

"I guess you really hated rule three after that," Tony quipped, eliciting a bark of a laugh out of Gibbs.

"You bet."

They stayed silent for another few minutes, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been before. Tony knew that he would have to start up the conversation eventually. He remained quiet, though, waiting for something to pop up into his mind that didn't sound like something a three year old girl would say. He knew he was acting ridiculous, was not thinking particularly straight at the moment, but Gibbs was still there after all, so he couldn't have messed up quite so badly just yet.

"What has you wound up like this?" Gibbs finally asked, staring right into Tony's eyes. "What's a couple of days?"

"I know," Tony replied, wondering not for the first time how Gibbs knew exactly what was going on with him. "It's just… the closer it gets, the less excited I'm about it. I don't want it to change, I don't want to lose what… what we have here. I don't want to lose this, Gibbs."

"You won't," the older man replied almost softly. "We'll always be us."

"Us, huh?" Tony replied without thinking, but stopped dead when he caught sight of the expression on Gibbs' face.

He was still staring straight at him, his blue eyes watching him with care and apprehension. Tony gulped, suddenly unable to avert his eyes from him. For a split of a second Tony had a fleeting memory of the two of them sitting just like that in Jackson's living room, but before he could make sense of it, Gibbs suddenly turned, so that he wasn't looking at him anymore. It only lasted a moment, though, because after a quick swallow of his beer, Gibbs' eyes were on him again, making Tony uncomfortable and giddy inside at the same time. Suddenly he felt nervous and judging from the look on Gibbs' face, the other man didn't feel much different.

"What if," Tony finally whispered, remembering a thought from earlier that day. "What if I just decide not to meet them? What if I just… walked away?"

"Why would you do that?" Gibbs replied just as quietly and Tony could have sworn that he had seen his eyes flicker for a moment.

"I don't want things to change… I want…," Tony trailed off, suddenly realizing that he _did_ want things to change but in a totally different way.

Wait… what?

He sat up a bit straighter, feeling his heart beat erratically in his chest. He chanced a glance at Gibbs who looked even more confused than he felt. Had he really just thought about Gibbs as a… had he really thought about wanting to kiss his boss, run away from his soul mate for him? He felt his cheeks heat and his breathing speed up. He knew that he had to say something to diffuse the situation, tell a joke maybe, just do _something_. And yet, he was still sitting there, staring at his boss, feeling like he had just had the best and dumbest idea ever.

"Tony?" he heard Gibbs ask as if from far away and Tony felt hot all of a sudden, felt like he was on fire and there was nothing he could do about it.

"You okay?" Gibbs checked again, the former soft and confused expression replaced by one full of concern.

"Yeah," Tony finally answered, pulling himself away from these ridiculous thoughts. "I… uh… just remembered that I still have to...," he ran a hand through his hair as he all but jumped up from where he had been sitting. "Do this thing… I'll see you tomorrow, boss."

With that and a last glance at Gibbs, Tony turned around and then all but ran out of the house, knowing that he was literally running away and that Gibbs would scold him the next day for leaving the way he did, but Tony simply had to get away.

He didn't think much on his way home, just sped down the streets, hoping that he would make it home in one piece. Once he got there, he pulled out the good bourbon, not bothering with a glass as he greedily drank straight from the bottle. What in the world was wrong with him? Where did the sudden thought of him and Gibbs come from? And why was it suddenly there, only days before he would have to break their bond because of his soul mate?

He lay down on his couch, staring up at the ceiling, trying to form a coherent thought. He needed to get that thought out of his head, needed to call Gibbs to apologize, but he just… couldn't. He knew the idea was crazy, knew that _he _was crazy for even contemplating it. And yet, the longer he just lay there, the better he felt.

Flashes of confusion that occasionally popped up were paired with sheer hopefulness and he had no idea where that came from. It was like nothing was making sense anymore.


End file.
